


No More Secrets

by FrankenSpine



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/F, Fear of Discovery, Magical Accidents, One Shot, Secrets, Temporary Blindness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:40:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23996149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankenSpine/pseuds/FrankenSpine
Summary: After a magical mishap, Regina is left temporarily blind and asks Emma to help her run an errand. After some complications, she soon begins to suspect that Emma is keeping things from her and is shocked by what she learns.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 136





	No More Secrets

Emma helped Regina through the front door and into the living room. They’d been down in the vault making various potions when Regina had added too much fairy dust to the serpent’s tears, and ended up blinding herself. She took a seat on the couch and let out a heavy sigh.

“I still can’t believe I messed up this badly,” she fussed, “At least it’s only temporary. I was going to do some shopping this morning, but it seems I’ll have to wait. Could you get the grocery list and read it out to me, please? I want to make sure I have everything I need.”

Emma’s heart sank, and panic set in. “Uh, s-sure,” she said quickly, disappearing into the kitchen.

She found the grocery list on the fridge, where it always was, and bit her lip. Sweat rolled down her forehead. She wasn’t prepared for this. She swiped the list and folded it quickly before slipping it into her pocket. She returned to the living room, trembling.

“Sorry, Regina, I couldn’t find it.”

Regina’s brows furrowed. “What? Was it not on the fridge?”

“No.”

“Hm. I could have sworn that’s where I put it. Could you make a new list?”

Emma’s blood ran cold. “How about you say all the things we need and I’ll record it on my phone?”

Regina was perplexed, but complied, nonetheless. “Alright,” she said as Emma started recording, “We need milk, eggs, flour, butter, sugar, and— _Gods,_ this would be so much easier if I had that list. Are you sure it wasn’t on the fridge?”

“Yeah.” Emma shut off the recording and put her phone back in her pocket. “I don’t know where it went. I’m sorry.”

Regina shook her head. “Don’t be. I’m sure I just misplaced it.”

Emma felt guilty for lying to her girlfriend, but she didn’t exactly have much choice. “I’ll ask Henry if he’s seen it.”

“Alright.”

Emma walked upstairs to Henry’s room and knocked on the door. “Henry?”

It opened, and the boy in question smiled at her. “Yeah?”

“Have you seen the grocery list?”

“Isn’t it on the fridge?”

“It should be, but it’s not.”

“Oh. I haven’t seen it, but I can help you look.”

Emma smiled. “Okay. Thanks, kid.”

“Why do you need the grocery list?”

“Regina blinded herself with magic and asked me to read the list for her.”

_“What?”_

“Don’t worry, it’s only temporary. At least, that’s what Regina told me.”

They went back downstairs and Henry greeted Regina with a hug.

“Hi, sweetie,” she said.

“How’d you know it was me?”

Regina smiled. “I don’t need my eyes to know it’s you, darling. Are you going to help Emma?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Thank you, dear.”

“You’re welcome.”

Henry followed Emma into the kitchen and lo and behold, the list wasn’t on the fridge. Emma searched the kitchen, having subtly tossed the list onto the counter when no one was looking, and feigned surprise when Henry found it.

“Hey, it was right here,” he said as he held it up.

“Oh? Damn, I could’ve sworn I looked there already. I don’t know how I didn’t see it.”

Hearing this made Regina frown a little. Emma could, admittedly, be a bit clumsy from time to time, but it was never this bad. Still, Regina chose not to question it. Henry approached her with the list.

“It says we need two-percent milk, eggs, all-purpose flour, salted butter, sugar, red apples, cinnamon, Folger’s coffee, artificial sweetener, whole wheat bread, and sliced ham.”

Regina’s smile returned. “Thank you, dear. Emma, would you mind going shopping for me? I always go in the morning to beat the crowd. I can loan you some money.”

“Uh, yeah, sure thing,” said Emma. She turned to Henry with a smile. “Wanna come with me, kid?”

Henry nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah. I’ll get my coat.”

Emma felt a great sense of relief wash over her like a calming wave. She tensed back up, however, when she saw the thousand-yard stare Regina was giving her. Even while blind, Regina seemed to know where she was and was still just as capable of giving her stink eye.

“Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something from me?”

Emma panicked. “What? I’m not hiding anything,” she said.

“You sound defensive.”

“Well, yeah, I mean, you’re making it sound like I’m keeping secrets or something.”

“Are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Are you _sure?”_

“Definitely.”

Regina was quiet for a moment. “Alright, darling,” she said, forcing a sickly-sweet smile, “You and Henry have fun. I’ll just be here, resting.”

“Okay. I hope your eyesight comes back soon.”

“As do I, dear,” said Regina, “As do I.”

After Emma and Henry had left, Regina sat there in total darkness, alone.

“She’s _definitely_ keeping secrets, unlike her insipid mother.”

* * *

While at the store, Emma squinted at the list. “Why does Regina have to write the letters so small? I can barely see them,” she lied.

“Let me see,” said Henry, “Oh, okay. We need all-purpose flour. It’s just up ahead.”

Emma pushed the cart over to where Henry had sprinted and loaded the heavy bag into it.

“Alright, what’s next?”

“Sugar. It’s right across the aisle.” Henry found the sugar and set it in the cart.

They continued on like this, with Henry pointing out the items while they both loaded it all up, until finally, they only needed milk.

“Hey, is it okay if I go look at the comics real quick?”

Emma was uncomfortable. “Uh, yeah. You said we needed two-percent milk, right?”

“Yeah.”

Emma bit her lip as she headed for the dairy aisle, while Henry went to inspect the comic rack. Finding the milk wasn’t an issue, but as she stood there staring at the various jugs, she felt like she was about to have a panic attack. She grabbed the first one she saw and put it in the cart before returning to Henry at the end of the aisle.

“Hey, I got the milk.”

“Okay.” Henry eyed the milk and blinked in confusion. “That’s whole milk,” he said.

“Huh? Oh, my bad. I thought it said two-percent. Guess I wasn’t paying enough attention.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it.”

Henry took the milk back and picked up the right kind instead. Emma let out a heavy sigh of relief.

“Thank _God,”_ she whispered.

* * *

When they arrived back at the mansion, Emma helped Henry put away the groceries before he headed back up to his room. Emma took a seat on the couch next to Regina with a smile, relieved to be done with all that.

“Hope you didn’t get too lonely,” she said.

Regina smiled back at her, but just like before, it seemed forced. “Not too lonely, no. How did shopping go?”

“Fine, I guess. About as fine as shopping can be.”

“You didn’t have any trouble finding things?”

“No. Henry helped me.”

Regina was silent for a moment. “Emma,” she said softly, “why did you need Henry to go to the store with you?”

“I— I just figured he wanted to spend some time with me. I mean, he’s been cooped up in here all morning. I thought it might be nice to get out for a bit.”

“And go grocery shopping?”

“Well, at least it was _something,”_ said Emma.

Regina reached blindly for Emma’s hands and gave them both a light squeeze. “Emma, I need you to be honest with me. You’re not the only one with a superpower.”

“What?”

“I know you haven’t been entirely truthful today. I’d like to know why.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 _“Emma,”_ Regina said firmly, “Please, you can tell me. Whatever it is, you shouldn’t feel like you need to keep it from me.”

Emma hesitated for what seemed like an eternity before she couldn’t keep it in any longer. She began to sob quietly, which brought a look of concern to Regina’s face.

“Talk to me, Emma.”

“Regina, I,” Emma paused, lowering her voice to a whisper, “I, um— I can’t read.”

_“…What?”_

Emma bit her lip. “Don’t make me say it again.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Regina asked softly.

“Because I didn’t want you to think I was stupid.”

“You’re not ‘stupid,’ Emma. There are millions of people who don’t know how to read.” Regina squeezed Emma’s hands a little tighter. “You don’t have to be ashamed. There’s an evening program at the school for adults to help them read and write more efficiently.”

“You don’t understand, Regina,” Emma said as tears slipped down her cheeks, “I can’t read _at all._ I can’t even read the menu at the diner. Why do you think my default meal is a cheeseburger and onions rings? That’s what Ruby told me they had when I first came to Storybrooke, so I’ve just rolled with it all this time. Why do you think I only make phone calls and listen to audio books? I mean, I can’t even follow any of Henry’s comics. I just make up the stories in my head that seem to go along with the pictures.”

“Emma, most people back in the Enchanted Forest couldn’t read, either. That’s why the evening program exists.”

Emma shook her head. “I can’t do that,” she said, “I don’t want people knowing that the ‘Almighty Savior’ dropped out in the eighth grade, or that she can’t read much of anything that isn’t her own name.”

“If you’d rather have _me_ teach you than any of the instructors, I’d be more than happy to help.”

“Isn’t there, I don’t know, magic that can help me?”

“I suppose there is, but wouldn’t it be better to not have to rely on magic all the time? Wouldn’t it be better to have a legitimate education?”

“I— I guess so. I don’t know.” Emma wiped her eyes. “I’ve never told anyone this, Regina. Not Neal, not my parents— not even Henry.”

“You know something, Emma?”

“What?”

“I wasn’t always able to read, either. Mother wouldn’t allow it. She didn’t want me getting any _ideas_ in my head, but once I became Queen, I had a tutor help me learn how to read and write. That was when I started keeping a diary. Not long after, I met Rumple, and I had no issues understanding the incantations in my mother’s spell book.”

Regina brought her arms around Emma and pulled the blonde into a loving embrace.

“I’m here for you, Emma, no matter what you choose to do. I just wish you hadn’t tried to keep this from me.”

“I didn’t want you to think less of me,” said Emma, “I didn’t want you to look at me and see a failure.”

“I could never think less of you, and you are _not_ a failure. Just tell me one thing, Emma.”

“Anything.”

“You know that I love you, don’t you?”

Emma smiled. “Yeah.”

“And do you love me?”

“With all my heart.”

“Good,” said Regina, “Now why don’t you kiss me?”

“O-Okay.”

Emma did, and a flash of light sparked from Regina’s clouded eyes. They became clear, and Regina smiled as she cupped Emma’s face affectionately.

“Wait, that was it? All it took was a kiss?”

“Not just any kiss, my dear,” said Regina, _“True Love’s Kiss.”_

“Did you know that would work this whole time?”

“No. I just had a hunch, but either way, I wanted to kiss my beautiful girlfriend,” said Regina.

Emma couldn’t help but smile. “Does that mean you’ll kiss _me,_ now?”

“With pleasure.” Regina pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. “How’s that?”

“Perfect,” said Emma, “Just perfect.”

“Wonderful. Just promise me there will be no more secrets between us.”

Emma nodded. “I promise,” she said, “Now then, I guess we should get started on the whole _reading_ thing.”

**Author's Note:**

> Been watching a lot of 'What Would You Do?' lately and saw an episode about a man who didn't know how to read, so that inspired me to write this.


End file.
